Unpopular opinion: that 'traffic calming' roundabout on Oak Street actually made things worse

I live near that new roundabout they put in last fall. People say it's safer but I watched a FedEx truck get stuck there for 12 minutes on a Tuesday afternoon. The city spent $80k on it but now cars just sit idling while nobody knows how to yield. One driver told me he's started taking side streets to avoid it, which just pushes traffic onto residential roads. Has anyone else seen a project like this backfire in their neighborhood?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles2d ago

80k dollars for a roundabout that just makes FedEx trucks miserable?

lucast812d ago

Right, "miserable" is putting it lightly, I watched one try to make it last week and had to back up twice.

smith.elliot2d ago

Wonder if the city ever measured actual traffic flow before they built it, or just went with what some consultant told them. My town did something similar on a different road and the data showed speeds actually increased on the side streets because people avoided the roundabout entirely. Did you notice any traffic studies posted before construction, or did it just show up one day with no public input?